How to Save a Life
by Be Your Wonderwall
Summary: What if the Careers had someone to fight for?
1. Leaving

"Marvel!" I screamed letting my voice ring out.

I walked forward, only to be pushed away by Peacekeepers. I felt my world crashing down on my shoulders. He promised me. He promised he wouldn't volunteer. He lied to me. I felt like I had been betrayed. I felt like I was losing my best friend. I couldn't hear anything but blood pounding in my ears until they released us and I took off towards the Justice Building. I waited out in the waiting room impatiently. I ran in when the door was opened and Marvel gathered me in his arms.

"You promised, you jerk," I hissed against his neck.

"I lied." Marvel had his arms locked around my small waist and was stroking my long red hair.

"I noticed. Marv… Take this as your token." I pulled my dog tag out from my shirt and hand it to him. He shook his head but I hung it around his neck, "Take it. You gave it to me for good luck, and it's worked for me. Let the words guide you."

"One minute!" a Peacekeeper shouted making me tear up.

"You have to come back, Marvel. Please come back," I sobbed letting tears run down my face.

"I will, Jeni. I will. I love you!" Marvel told me as a Peacekeeper pulled me away from him.

"I love you too, Marv," I yelled as I was pulled from the room.

I knew that he wasn't going to come back. There is always someone bigger and stronger. I held on to that last bit of hope that he would come back. That I'd see him again. I ran all the way home until I locked myself in the room I shared with my fourteen year old brother. He was sitting on his bed staring at the pictures of Marvel that I had taped on my wall. I sat next to him and slung an arm around his shoulders.

"Why did he do it?" Jak asked softly making me press my lips together to keep from crying.

"I dunno, Jak. I dunno. He promised he wouldn't volunteer…" I whispered to him pulling him against me.

Marvel and I were seventeen. We would have turned eighteen next month. That was our last year in the Reaping. Marvel would have volunteered for Jak. He knew how I felt about that though. I didn't want either of them in that arena. Jak was on his own now. No one to protect him from the horrors of the Capitol. I thought about that morning, when he had promised he would stay here with me. Unless we were reaped. I knew that he would volunteer if I got reaped. He would protect me in that arena. Now we were both put to hell. I would be wreck without him and he would be… dead.

**That Morning**

I laid my head against Marvel's shoulder and looked at the sky. We sat in the comfortable silence for a few minutes before I had broken it, "You're volunteering, aren't you?"

"You don't want me to," Marvel replied simply.

"No, I don't," I stated pursing my lips and feeling safer in his arms.

"Why not? Do you not have faith in me?" Marvel demanded turning into the person I hate.

"Marvel Jonathon!" I exclaimed, "Stop that! Of course I have faith in you. I just know that there will be someone bigger and stronger there."

"Yeah, yeah. I want to do my District proud!" Marvel beamed throwing his hands the air.

"Marv…." I warned picking my head up off his shoulder.

"Jeni…" Marvel teased smiling.

"Shut up," I retorted angrily.

"Aw, don't be that way," Marvel replied smirking.

I stood up when I saw light shine through trees and pulled him up with me. I grinned and pulled him through the trees to downtown. We didn't have anywhere to be until four o'clock so I pulled him into the music hall. No one was there but the DJ so he saw us and played "our" song. Marvel and I always danced to this song. We have come in every morning for three years and danced to this song. The song was very upbeat and we always slow-danced to it. It was a song from the country previous to Panem. It was by a group called "Allstar Weekend". Music had been recovered from the previous country and it was much more enjoyable than the music that was created now.

"I wanna be a rockstar, a superhero livin' the dream! Doin' the things that I always wanted," I laughed as Mavel sang the words.

I knew that we should be home with our families. It was the day of the Reaping but Marvel and I needed this time. Our families always had lunch together on Reaping day. Marvel spun my around before dipping me in his arms and I smiled at him, "I wanna see my face on the TV with my picture on the cover…."

"But you don't want to see my face on the TV," Marvel scoffed making me frown.

"Moment ruiner. Marv, you know how I feel! You're my best friend! I can't watch you turn into someone you're not!" I exclaimed pushing his arm away from my waist.

"I'll still be me," Marvel replied smiling.

"No. You won't. You'll be a murderer. I don't know if I could live with that," I whispered making him tilt my chin up, "Jeni, I'll still be the guy you love. The guy that will come to your house at the drop of a hat and hold you when you're upset. I'll still be the guy that makes you want to kill him. That won't change."

"The Games change you, Marvel!" I exclaimed kicking at the floor.

"How would you know?" Marvel inquired.

"My mom's best friend won! She was never the same! Never. She locked herself in her house and never spoke a word to anyone except the Tributes. I couldn't watch that happen to you," I explained making him purse his lips and pull me against his torso.

"Just… Remember this moment, okay? I won't volunteer. I promise," Marvel whispered kissing my forehead.

I nodded as a new song began. We swayed to the new words, the new story. I was scared. I was scared for me, Marvel, and Jak. Marvel and I left after the new song and went to his house, where we found his family and my family. Marvel's little sister, Kinni, was sleeping by the fireplace and Jak was talking to Marvel's parents.

"Hey you two! Where have you been?" Marvel's mom asked smiling patting seats on the couch.

We sat down, "We were at the music hall."

Marvel nodded, "Then we walked here."

Our parents all exchanged a look before saying, "Lunch will be ready in an hour. We wanted to talk to you guys."

"Yeah?" I asked scooting closer to Marvel.

Kinni stirred and woke up rubbing her eyes and sat on the floor next to Jak. My mom looked at Marvel and I, "I know you have been trained to go in the Games your whole lives but….. We don't want you in that arena."

"The only way to get me into that arena is if Kinni is reaped," I replied gritting my teeth making Kinni wince and tears shine in her eyes.

Marvel was silent making his mom bite her lip, "Marvel?"

"It's all I know, Mom," Marvel whispered painfully.

"No, it's not. You know love, Marvel. You're an amazing scientist. You know all sorts of things. Please, Marvel," his mom begged and I closed my eyes.

Marvel nodded as Kinni and Jak went out into the backyard. They were both fifteen and scared. I wish I could save them from the horrors of the Capitol. I could tell they were very close. They would never date though. Jak had a girlfriend. He loved her. I believed him. She was sweet but Kinni was probably his best friend. Marvel and I had never dated but we had been best friends since we were five. I had fallen for him when we were fourteen. I wasn't sure if he shared my feelings so I hid them.


	2. Games

"Jeni?" Jak shook me awake and I groaned before turning over to look at him.

"What, Jak?" I snapped at him. I felt bad though. Jak was just as upset as I was.

"The Parade is starting soon. We were all going down to the viewing in the square," Jak told me softly.

"Sorry, Jak. Are we dressing nice?" I asked making him nod and gesturing at the clothes laid out for me.

There was a knee length white dress with a diamond incrusted belt at the waist; we were the luxury District. Most dress clothes had diamonds. The heels under it were silver glitter and I sighed. I thought of the female tribute, Glimmer. I had known her. She went to school with me. She was the kind of person Marvel hated; she flaunted her riches. Marvel hated the diamond incrusted stuff when he saw people in the outlying Districts suffering. I quickly grabbed my outfit and entered the bathroom. I showered and dressed quickly. My mom called me down and began to put my red hair into a side braid.

"Thanks, Mom…." I told her slipping my shoes on.

I ate a slice of bread for breakfast before walking outside. I walked into the music hall, where I found the DJ and a couple dancing to the music. I sat on the bench against the wall and looked at my dress. Marvel would have grabbed my hand and spun me around making the skirt of the dress flow around my legs. I felt tears sting my eyes and I refused to let them fall. Everyone looked at me with pity now, "The girl who lost the one she loves to the Games." I hate that. I haven't lost him yet. Yet. The couple looked much like Marvel and I looked like. Young. Happy. Except Marvel and I weren't a couple. I felt tears come down my cheeks and I exited the music hall. I found a place to cry tucked away behind some buildings and just started to sob. The sobs came quickly and convulsed my body. I sunk to the ground and didn't care if my dress got dirty. I just cried.

"I love you, Marvel. With all my heart," I whispered through my sobs as if he could hear me.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and saw Jak, "Jeni, we're leaving."

I nodded as he pulled me up and into a hug, "Marvel is smart. He can get out. I just know it."

"I know. I love you, Jak," I whispered into his chest.

"I love you too," Jak replied helping me brush dirt off my dress and wiping my face clean of tears.

"Here comes the District One chariot! The male tribute, Marvel Reves, is on the right side of the chariot. His outfit is just stunning," I almost choked when I saw what he was wearing. It was a horrid vest of feathers and lace and….. It was just repulsive. I kept my eyes locked on Marvel when the zoomed in on his face. He was masking his emotions.

"Oh, Marvel…" I whispered closing my eyes.

Caeser moved on to explaining District Two and when I saw the boy…. That boy, Cato, was huge. He looked like he could snap Marvel in half. I winced and looked at my feet until I heard everyone gasp. District Twelve tributes were on fire. Fire! They get elegant costumes and they put _my _Marvel in a stupid costume. I shook my head. They all get different stylists. They zoomed in on all the tributes faces one more time before the program ended. I ached to see Marvel's face again. I would see his face in three days when we see the training scores. In four would be interviews. Then in five…. The Games. I sighed and followed Jak back to Marvel's house where we ate lunch.

"Marvel looked uncomfortable," Kinni said making me wince.

I wasn't handling it well. Everyone else seemed to be coping but…. I just couldn't.

I crossed my legs and stared at the screen. Jak was sitting next to me with an arm around my shoulders. He was the best brother you could ever ask for. Caeser Flickerman's face appeared and he explained how the training scores worked. He put Marvel's face on the screen, "From District One, Marvel Reves scored a nine!" I grinned. He threw spears. I know him. He was a natural. I was handy with a sword. I listened calmly to the other training scores and gasped when the read Katniss Everdeen's score, eleven. How? What did she do? I was surprised.

I was excited for interviews. We would see Marvel for a extended period of time. He would speak. We all sat in a row excited to see our tribute speak. I smoothed out my skirt as Caeser introduced the show. I quietly watched Glimmer's interview and rolled my eyes. I sat forward when Caeser announced, "From District One, Marvel Reves!"

"Hey, Caeser!" I grinned when I saw him talk.

I took in his outfit; a pastel yellow and blue suit. It was horrible. Oh well.

"So, Marvel, how do you feel about your training score?"

"Well, Caeser, I feel as if I could have done better. I deserved the score I got though."

"Have you seen anybody that you think of as a target?"

"I wouldn't want to target anybody in particular."

"I understand. So, tell us, do you have a special girl back home?"

Marvel blushed and smiled, "Well, yeah."

Wait. He does?

"Well, share with us! Tell us all about her!"

"Her name is Jeni." What? "She's beautiful and she has the most wonderful red hair. She has green eyes which are not something I've seen often. She's been my best friend forever and she doesn't know it but I'm in love with her. She told me not to come here. She asked me not to volunteer but I obviously didn't listen. I miss her already. Jeni, I love you."

My mind was going one hundred miles per hour as everyone turned to look at me. I blushed and watched the screen again.

"Are you fighting for her?"

"Her and my family. My little sister deserves to have her big brother to fight off all those boys going after her because she's so beautiful."

Kinni had tears running down her face and the entirety of the people there stared at her.

"How old is your sister?"

"She's fifteen. I think one boy in particular has his eye on her though. I give him my blessing if I don't come back. He's a wonderful kid."

"What's his name?"

"Well… I couldn't say. I'll leave you with this; if he got together with my sister, my shot with Jeni would be ruined."

"Well, folks, it sounds like this is Jeni's little brother! Now, good luck, Marvel!"

"Thank you, Caeser."

Caeser stood and pulled Marvel up. He raised Marvel's hand and yelled, "Marvel!" The crowd went wild as Marvel whooped.

"Attention hog," I muttered standing up to leave the town square.

Jak and Kinni were blushing and I knew that Marvel just warned him. Jak would be dead if he hurt Kinni. Dead. He also confirmed my fears; Marvel no longer has faith in himself.

I hadn't slept in days. I was too busy watching the Games. Marvel had gotten hurt multiple times and I had been crying for days. I winced every time he got hit with the butt of Cato's sword. Marvel had killed…. Four people, I think. I don't know if I could ever look at him the same if he did come back. Those girls set a trap for him though. The fire he had just directed them to run after was a distraction while Katniss blew up their supplies.

"Damn it, Marvel! You're smarter than this!" I whispered as I watched his supplies get blown sky high.

The went back to the pile and Cato snapped the watcher boy's neck. A cannon went off. I saw Marvel jog off into the woods and the camera followed Katniss as she ran towards… Rue? I think it was Rue. Rue was caught in a net. Katniss cut her out and hugged her. Marvel was lurking in the treeline. My eyes widened when he threw the spear. I knew him. He was aiming for Katniss. She had the weapon. Instead, he killed a little girl. Katniss acted fast and pulled her bow back. The arrow flew into Marvel's neck.

"Marvel!" I screamed standing up.

I heard a two cannon's go off and I knew he was dead. I cried for a few hours before I went over to the Reve's house to find them sobbing as well. Jak came over at nine and held me while I cried.

"He's gone," I whispered painfully.

"I know." Jak rubbed my back and I cried into his shoulder.

I had hit rock bottom. I wanted to die. He was the man I loved. He died. I couldn't bring myself to plunge the knife into my chest. I couldn't do it. I wanted to though. Jak caught me. He was crying and asking me why. I wasn't sure why. I didn't want to live. I pulled my knees to my chest and cried for a long time. I hadn't eaten in four days. I was growing too thin. My clothes were baggy. Today was his funeral. I pulled my black dress over my head. I walked with Jak to the graveyard. It was open casket. I couldn't bring myself to look at him. I wanted to remember him alive. Dancing with me. Holding me.

I threw a rose on the basket as it was lowered into the ground, "I love you, Marvel Jonathon Reves."


End file.
